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Alright, I'm at a crossroads of starting what I want to become a career. I've applied for and have been approved by both the USPS as a CCA, and by the TSA as a TSO. The TSA position has slightly better pay, I work indoors but I'll have odd hours and shifts and starting out as part time until the probationary period is finished. On the other hand, with the USPS, I'll have a straightforward schedule but I'll be starting out at 5-6 days a week and only be getting 40 hours worth of pay until I finish up the probationary period. So my question is this, to those of you who have worked these fields, and started out at these levels or seen people who have and what they've done, where can you go from these fields, what sort of opportunities are beyond these starting levels? TL;DR: Trying to choose between being a postal worker delivering mail and the guy who makes you take off your shoes at the airport.
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Feb 12, 2015 22:48
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 02:46 |
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Mail guy sounds like fun, plus you get plenty of fresh air and exercise.
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Feb 12, 2015 23:33
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Well everyone hates the TSA, and a lot of people love their mailman, so there is that. Also consider how much you love dogs and/or braving inclement weather. Both organizations have insanely toxic and demeaning middle management, from what I've heard.
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Feb 12, 2015 23:35
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I would chose mailman, but both jobs have merit. Are you going to mailman someplace temperate or walk around Chicago where it is either -50 wind chill or 102 with 99% humidity?
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Feb 12, 2015 23:39
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I think you have to work for a long-rear end time with USPS before they offer you benefits. Also remember that the USPS is a money-losing government service that probably won't be around in 10 years.
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Feb 12, 2015 23:52
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In Canada door-to-door mail delivery is being discontinued because the volume of mail people receive has dropped so much. (They're going to deliver to neighborhood mailboxes instead.) I am sure it is only a matter of time until the US does the same, so I'd be nervous about working for the postal service.
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Feb 13, 2015 00:06
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Trillian posted:In Canada door-to-door mail delivery is being discontinued because the volume of mail people receive has dropped so much. (They're going to deliver to neighborhood mailboxes instead.) I am sure it is only a matter of time until the US does the same, so I'd be nervous about working for the postal service. Propping up bloated and inefficient federal bureaucracies is every American's god given right.
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Feb 13, 2015 00:13
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What are your long term career goals?
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Feb 13, 2015 00:32
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I live in the second largest city in Alaska, Fairbanks. Weather here can dip into the -40's and lower in winter, and 80's in summer. As for long term career goals, I don't know, this is something new to me in terms of concept. Everything else til now has just been a job that I didn't plan on having but got accepted to work at.
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Feb 13, 2015 00:46
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Kase Im Licht posted:What are your long term career goals? to own a pair of socks in every shade of white and to one day camp in the woods
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Feb 13, 2015 00:47
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Do you know what the benefits packages look like for each one? Also, do you not have contact info for some people who work in the offices you'd be working for?
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Feb 13, 2015 00:51
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TSA is a piece of poo poo organization so I would advise you not to get a job with them. USPS you probably could sleep at night knowing you actually have done something productive for your country and community.
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Feb 13, 2015 03:19
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moana posted:Do you know what the benefits packages look like for each one? Also, do you not have contact info for some people who work in the offices you'd be working for? That's something I've not been able to get exact answers about yet from either. It's fairly difficult getting in touch from anyone at either organization.
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Feb 13, 2015 03:35
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welcome to government work
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Feb 13, 2015 04:01
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Stoic Commie posted:welcome to government work I know right? No one answers the phone, or if you get a machine, it transfers to the operator and then hangs up
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Feb 13, 2015 05:25
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Radbot posted:Both organizations have insanely toxic and demeaning middle management, from what I've heard. Its easier to get hosed over and fired by TSA (mis)management because you have no access to the Merit Systems Protection Board. At least USPS has somewhat good union representation whereas TSA's union is a loving joke. Also recurring bullshit tests in order to keep your job. Thank gently caress I left TSA and got a real government job.
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Feb 13, 2015 07:39
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Stay far far away from the TSA. No one I know who has ever worked there has had a shred of anything positive to say.
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Feb 14, 2015 20:13
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:TSA is a piece of poo poo organization so I would advise you not to get a job with them. USPS you probably could sleep at night knowing you actually have done something productive for your country and community. Listen to this man. Even as you are schlepping a 1:9 ratio of junk to actual useful mail, you are providing a very productive and necessary service. TSA on the other hand is lovely theater worthless at catching anything but 5oz bottles of shampoo 1:20 times someone tries to get it through.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:52
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For what it's worth, USPS employees pay lower health insurance premiums than non-USPS government employees (10-20%+ in savings depending on which plan you choose).
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Feb 16, 2015 02:47
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I've heard that postal carriers can make some pretty serious tips around the holidays. On the other hand I've never heard I've never heard of a TSA agent getting a tip. Besides even if a traveler tried to give you a "thanks for not groping my balls too hard" tip, it would probably get both of you thrown in jail on bribery or terrorism charges. 
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Feb 16, 2015 03:20
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Are you all forgetting he'd be delivering mail in these conditions:quote:I live in the second largest city in Alaska, Fairbanks. Weather here can dip into the -40's and lower in winter, and 80's in summer.
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Feb 17, 2015 00:45
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TSA is a hit job that will have a bunch of wanna be cops quoting lines from Super Troopers all day, every day. Just the quality of your coworkers should make USPS a shoe in.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:33
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Xandu posted:Are you all forgetting he'd be delivering mail in these conditions: True, however many people would prefer -40F working conditions versus being a low-level employee at literally one of the most hated institutions in the country.
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Feb 17, 2015 21:23
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I'd say any weather can be tolerable if you have a good outfit, but I live in Massachusetts not Fairbanks so take that with a grain of salt. Otherwise, USPS all the way, everyone likes the mailman, no one likes the ball inspector. Are indoor usps jobs attainable?
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Feb 18, 2015 03:10
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Well today I learned a lot. I learned the second biggest city in Alaska has a population of 30,000 people. Supposedly it only gets down to -40 degrees, but it's pretty the gently caress up north. Look dude you live in a super tiny city, and I doubt you get that much air traffic. Even if the TSA as an organization is terrible, nobody is going to plan anything in your town. Take the TSA job it'll be a super cinch of a job, and i severely doubt you'll hate it. Everyone who hates their TSA job had one for a major metropolitan airliner not some tiny airport out in Fairbanks Alaska. Plus you'll be inside and warm. If you were doing this as a job in Anchorage though I'd probably have different advice.
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Feb 18, 2015 04:28
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The USPS is going bankrupt what the hell do you think?
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Feb 18, 2015 07:04
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Veskit posted:Well today I learned a lot. I learned the second biggest city in Alaska has a population of 30,000 people. Supposedly it only gets down to -40 degrees, but it's pretty the gently caress up north. I'm thinking TSA for this exact reason. Sure people hate them but gently caress I'm in a small city. Its what they consider a category 2 airport and its open 22 hours a day with indoor work. I've done delivery work here in the -50's and it's not pleasant. Thanks for the input guys and feel free to provide further input. I'll still be keeping an eye on this thread.
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Feb 18, 2015 09:58
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Vegetable posted:The USPS is going bankrupt what the hell do you think? This is a manufactured issue and is entirely deliberate, you can thank congress for it. It'll either be fixed or left in place so people have a convenient target for bitching about inefficient government entities.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:13
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Yes, the post office is "bankrupt" because Congress decided they had to convert from a social security style, pay as you go system of funding their retirement health benefits to a defined benefit/pension style, pay up front system. They made them make this shift in some ridiculous amount of time, like 10 years, resulting in an unrealistic drain on their annual budget as they pay something like 6x more than they should actually need to into the prefunded retirement system. On top of that, they have to get Congress's permission to make a lot of money saving changes that they want to make (like getting rid of Saturday delivery). And Congress won't let them. http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/financials/annual-reports/fy2010/ar2010_4_002.htm http://thehill.com/homenews/news/211347-another-fight-looms-over-saturday-mail-delivery So, to summarize, Congress says you have to fund 60+ years of projected health care costs in the next 10, and oh yeah you aren't allowed to make any of those business changes you want to make either. OH LOOK AT HOW BAD THE POST OFFICE IS DOING!!!
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Feb 18, 2015 17:44
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It's almost like there's folks in Congress that have a vested interest in seeing public institutions fail.
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Feb 18, 2015 18:23
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^^^ what you two said. The state of this nation is loving embarrassing. drat Congress.
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Feb 19, 2015 02:47
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SiGmA_X posted:^^^ what you two said. The state of this nation is loving embarrassing. drat Congress. You mean drat Obama right? Everything bad that has ever happened in this country is Obamas fault.
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Feb 19, 2015 03:34
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Nohearum posted:You mean drat Obama right? Everything bad that has ever happened in this country is Obamas fault. I agree, the TSA would be a better job than the USPS given the circumstances.
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Feb 19, 2015 15:06
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It can be extremely demoralizing to work at a repetitive and pointless job day after day even if you are paid well. 99.99% of a TSA job is harassing innocent people and forcing them to throw away their water bottles and take off their shoes for no real reason, while only maybe 90% of mail is unwanted. I don't know that I could stand either job, to be honest, but I would probably take USPS. All the mail carriers I have known have seemed to really enjoy their work. Not so much the people actually working in the post office, though.
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Feb 19, 2015 15:32
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Droo posted:Yes, the post office is "bankrupt" because Congress decided they had to convert from a social security style, pay as you go system of funding their retirement health benefits to a defined benefit/pension style, pay up front system. They made them make this shift in some ridiculous amount of time, like 10 years, resulting in an unrealistic drain on their annual budget as they pay something like 6x more than they should actually need to into the prefunded retirement system. Pay as you go systems are really really bad. Every entity except the government has to hold expected liabilities. The timeframe does make it suck though.
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Feb 20, 2015 19:59
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What's wrong with the USPS pay as you go system? Not in some broad ideological sense, but in the USPS' case.
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Feb 20, 2015 22:37
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Radbot posted:What's wrong with the USPS pay as you go system? Not in some broad ideological sense, but in the USPS' case. The government entities get away with it because they are supposed to have the power of unlimited taxation to meet their demands (although as we've seen with municipalities failing this isn't always the case - and the people hurt by it the most are the police officers, firefighters, etc. etc. who now have a worthless pension) Every other case that you dont have that ability (e.g. corporations - and specifically the USPS which doesn't have direct taxation power but indirectly through support by the government) require you to setup an account that youre not allowed to touch to support it and the PBGC can seize it in order to support the promises in case of bankruptcy.
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Feb 21, 2015 00:39
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If you join the TSA everyone you know will disown you because you directly support police state poo poo mentality.
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Feb 21, 2015 01:00
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All of the things that have been said about the TSA make me want to work there! It sounds like it'll really let you bring out your inner Henry Chinaski, OP!
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Feb 22, 2015 17:17
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 02:46 |
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Work for the postal service OP. It seems like a pretty chill job. And if you're any good, you might have the opportunity to move up to Postal Inspector or Postmaster!
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Feb 22, 2015 19:36
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